Airspace

Purpose of the Policy

Information and Media Technology (IMT) has installed a wireless network on campus,
known as All Access, allowing users to access APU computing services from mobile,
portable or handheld computers. A portion of radio airspace on the campus now
serves as the transport medium for a part of the campus network. The purpose of
this policy is to communicate to members of the campus community the potential
problems that could result from devices using the same radio frequency managing
these wireless spectrums as an institutional resource. APU currently uses the
2.4 GHz and 5 GHz unlicensed and licensed bands for wireless network connectivity.
Transmissions within the 2.4 GHz band conform to the IEEE 802.11b DSSS (Direct
Sequence Spread Spectrum) wireless LAN specification. Other wireless devices exist
in the market place that also employ the same 2.4 GHz frequency band and can cause
interference to users of the All Access service. These devices include, but are
not limited to other IEEE 802.11x wireless LAN devices (including Apple Airport
Base Stations). Other devices that can cause interference include but are not
limited to cordless telephones, microwave ovens, cameras, security alarms and
audio components IMT will approach the shared use of the 2.4/5 GHz radio frequencies
in the same way that it manages the shared use of the wired network. In order
to assure the highest level of service to the users of APU’s All Access network,
all members of the campus community are asked to minimize the potential for interference
from those devices. IMT’s policy is that any use of these frequencies must be
coordinated with our department. In cases where the device is being used for a
specific teaching or research application, faculty need to work with the Office
of the CIO to identify the special need. While IMT will not actively monitor use
of the airspace for potential interfering devices, when appropriate, we will attempt
to isolate any specific device that is causing interference and disrupting the
campus network. In these cases, IMT reserves the right to restrict the use of
all 2.4 / 5 GHz radio devices in university-owned buildings and all outdoor spaces
on the Azusa Pacific University Campuses.